Muffler clamp



Jan. 25, 193s. MCOMPO 2,106,628

MUFFLER CLAMP V Filed Feb. 27, 1937 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 25,1938 UNITED STATE- S PATENT OFFICE My invention has for its object toproduce an reilicient clamp for connecting a muier with the exhaust pipeof an internal combustion engine and the tail pipe of the mulller andfor preventing escape of exhaust gases ,at the points ,of connection ofthe pipes with the muilier.

As is well known in connection with muillers,

it has been diicult to produce durable gas-tight connections between theparts through which the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines aredischarged. The constant pulsation of the pressures of the exhaust gasproduces an intense vibration of the parts which. often causes looseningof the parts and eventually produces leakage.

and trucks, the vibration and jarring produced by the travel of theconveyances over the road causes loosening and escape of exhaust gasesoften to the injury of those operating the conm) veyances.

" Heretofore, connectors of diierent forms. have been used forconnectingthe sleeves or neclisof muiiiers to the inlet and outlet pipesthrough which the exhaust gases are discharged from the engine. Theconnectors have been provided with various forms of devices for clampingthe cylindrical parts in an effort to produce and maintain a gas-tightconnection, but in the application of such devices, the outer of theclamped cylindrical parts is forced into an elliptical form thatinvariably produces openings between the parts at the ends of the longerdiameter through which the exhaust gases escape. Such clamping devicesdo not produce radially directed pressures throughout the area ofengagement of the clamping devices. By my invention, I have provided ameans for producing substantially uniform, radially directed, completecircular line pressure between the contacting parts for sealing theconnections of the pipes to the sleeves or necks of the mulers.

The invention particularly provides a pair of clamping members havingsemi-circular edge parts and means for drawing the clamping membersabout a sleeve of the muffler and a connecting pipe to produce a highradially directed line pressure throughout the entire circle of thecontact between the sleeve and the pipe and prevent deection of portionsof the outer of the tubular parts at the ends of the clamping membersfrom the inner of the tubular parts.

The invention particularly provides a pair of clamping members havingprojecting semi-circular edge parts and means for drawing the clampingmembers about the sleeve of the muf- Also, where muiiiers are installedin automobiles.

fier and the pipe and flexing the vclamping members to produce an inwardpressure of the projecting parts at their ends, as well as along theircentral portions and thereby produce substantially uniform radialpressure with respect to the centers :of the sleeve and the pipethroughou the length of` the projecting parts.

Connectors containing the invention may partake of different forms andmay be variedin their details and still embody the invention. 'To

illustrate a practical application of theinvention, I have selected aconnector embodying the invention as an lexample lof various structuresthat contain the invention and shall describe the selected connectorhereinafter. The particular connector selected' is shown in the accom-lVI panying drawings.

Fig.` 1 illustrates a perspective view of a muffler showing one of theconnectors. Fig. 2 illustratesfa section kof the-end of the muiiier andthe encl ofa pipe that is .connected thereto. Fig. 43 illustrates'anend'vifew of the connector andthe muffler. Fig. .4 illustrates an'enlarged sectional view `o'fpne of .the clamping members taken on" theplane 'of' the line TLIIy indicated in -li'gjl.

In the form of construction illustrated in the drawings, the clamp Icomprises a pair of clamping members 2 andd, preferably formed ofrelatively heavy sheet metal and bent U-shape to form flange parts 5 andl. Each of the flange parts 5 and 'I is provided with semi-circular edgeportions II] and II and also substantially right line edge portions I4and I5. The edges of the portions I4 and I5 extend tangentially from theends of the semi-circular edges of the portions IIJ and II. 'Ihe edgeportions I4 and I5 overlap the corresponding edge portions I4 and I5 ofthe other of the clamping members. Preferably, the outer surfaces of theoverlapping portions of one of the clamping members form a sliding fitwith and are located intermediate the corresponding portions of theother member. The clamping members have dimensions such that thesemi-circular edge portions narrow the central parts I1 of the clampingmembers to render them flexible so that when the ends of the clampingmembers are subjected to a consid-erable pressure, the central parts exand cause the ends of the semicircular edge portions and the right lineedge portions at the ends of the clamping members to be pressed inwardtoward the centers of the pipe and the sleeve.

Relatively large bolts I8 and 2% extend through the ends of the clampingmembers and between the ange parts 5 and 1. Nuts 2I are located on thebolts for drawing the clamping members toward each other. The clamp isplaced about the sleeve 22 of the muffler. The connecting pipe 25, suchas the exhaust pipe of the engine or the tail pipe of the muffler, isinserted in the sleeve 22. When the nuts 2| are rotated they operate totightly draw the semi-circular edge portions of the flanges 5 and 'Iagainst the metal of the sleeve 22 and to depress the metal alongtheedges of the flanges and force it into contact with the metal of thepipe 25, substantially`r as illustrated in Fig. 4, which is a magniedView of a part of the structure. The nuts may be turned to produce apressure suciently great to produce a ridge or bead 26 in the sleevethat tightly engages the surface of the pipe along two circular lines.

When the clamping members are thus tightly drawn by the bolts I8 and 20and the nuts 2|, the clamping members flex at their central portions I1to force the overlapping end portions along the tangentially extendingedges vof the clamping members against the metal of the sleeve totightly press the metal of the sleeve against the pipe and preventopening or separation of the metal of the sleeve from the metal of thepipe at the ends of the clamping members that ordinarily tend to curveelliptically where two circular clamping parts are drawn or pressedtoward each other about a cylindrical sheet metal member.

I claim:

1. In a muffler pipe clamp for connecting the muler to a pipe throughwhich exhaust gases are conducted, a pair of clamping members havingconcave semi-circular inwardly protruding edge parts and end portionsthat extend tangentially to the semi-circular edge parts, and means forengaging end portions of the clamping members to clamp the members aboutthe pipe and sleeve of the muffler and centrally ex the clamping membersto force the overlapping protruding tangential end edge portions of theprotruding parts against the outer of the clamped parts.

2. In a mumer pipe clamp for connecting a pipe to the sleeve of themuler, a 'pair of sheet metal clamping members bent U-shape to formflange parts, each of the flange parts having concave semi-circular edgeportions and right line portions extending tangentially to the ends ofthe semi-circular edge portions, and means for engaging the end portionsof the clamping member intermediate the ange parts to clamp the edges ofthe flange parts about the pipe and the sleeve of the muiler andcentrally iex the clamping members to depress the metal engaged by theedges of the flange parts and produce radially directed pressure towardthe centers of the clamping parts.

3. In a metal clamp, a pair of metal clamping members having concavecircular inwardly protruding ridges and a flexible part locatedintermediate the ends of the ridges, and means for engaging end portionsof the clamping member vto draw the end portions toward each othersubsequent to engagement of the central portions of the ridges with theouter surface of the object clamped by the clamping members and flex thesaid central flexible part to move the end parts of the ridges indirections toward each other and substantially at right angles to thedirection in which the end portions of the clamping members are drawntoward each other.

4. In a clamp for clamping pipes and the like, a pair of clampingmembers having concave semicircular protruding edge parts and endportions that extend tangentially to the semi-circular portions, andmeans for engaging end portions of the clamping members to draw the endportions of one of the members toward the end portions of the other ofthe members and to clamp the members about the pipe and centrally flexthe clamping member to force the tangential end portions of theprotruding parts inwardly against the pipe in a direction substantiallyat right angles to the direction in which the end portions of theclamping members are drawn toward each other.

JOHN J. COMPO.

